At anytime, one out of four people living with HIV in the City of Houston is homeless or marginally housed. This finding is from the Community Health Advisory Information Network (CHAIN) which studies patterns of housing instability in people with HIV. The studies focus on national homeless populations collecting data on these overlapping communities. They found that few homeless individuals are aware of their HIV status, or informed about HIV treatment options and even fewer have access to care.

Recent community-based health studies throughout the country suggest that homeless people are the anonymous faces of the HIV epidemic. The marginalization of HIV positive homeless people has created one of the most persistent barriers to treatment

education and delivery. COPE (Counseling,
Outreach, Prevention and Education) is an outreach program that provides vital information and prevention strategies to individuals who are Substance Abusers, IDUs, Sex Workers, MSMs, etc. in an effort to help expose the dangers of these high-risk behavior patterns and help to effect behavior changes and safer lives.

“It’s no secret that HIV in the U.S. is increasingly becoming a disease of poor and traditionally marginalized urban communities,” stated a program worker. “The rate of infection is disproportionately impacting homeless people, injection drug users, and people of color. We want to reduce the spread of HIV and eventually eradicate AIDS.”